Plans to “significantly enlarge” an oversubscribed Walsall school have been revealed.

Walsall Council wants to expand St Michael’s Church of England Primary School in Maple Road, Pelsall from September 1, 2019.

The school, which provides primary education for pupils between the ages of three and 11, currently has places for 315 pupils and 52 part-time places in the nursery class. Its published admission number is 45.

Should the plans be accepted, the expansion would be phased beginning with extra Reception places.

“It is proposed to increase the number of places in the Reception year group, from 45 to 60, but the admission number for all other classes would remain unchanged,” a report reads.

Read More

“The increased admission number would then move up through the school annually until the admission number for each class was 60. The impact on existing pupils would be minimal.

St Michael's School could be expanding

“As pupil numbers increase, the school would receive additional revenue funding, to finance the additional staff required and provide additional teaching resources. An increase in the number of staff would allow the school to review the organisational structure of the school and share the management and curriculum responsibilities across a larger group of staff.

“The school would become a 2 FE (Forms of Entry) school; currently it is 1.5 FE.

Read More

“Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places available in the local area. Additional places are needed at St Michael’s CE Primary School in order to meet an increasing demand for primary school places in the local area.”

A consultation on the proposals is now underway with the public being invited to have their say.

And Pelsall Councillor Marco Longhi, who is also a school governor, has urged residents to get in touch.

“It is really important that everyone’s views are heard,” he said.

“The school really needs to be supported with these plans. It is oversubscribed and at the moment not receiving full funding. The council agrees that the school should be expanded.

“It is a great school and historically has gone from strength to strength. This is about the future of our young people because young people are our future.”

Read More

Parking problems have already been raised with concerns over more pupils meaning more parents needing spaces outside the school.

Cllr Longhi added: “Wherever you have a school there are always going to be problems with parking; that is a fact of life unless your school is in the middle of nowhere.

“What I want is that the design of the school makes sure there is sufficient access for all, there is parking for staff and it caters for disabled people and their parents.”

The formal consultation period ends at 5pm on Monday, October 9. The final decision will be taken by Cabinet on October 25 before being communicated to parents, staff and governors at the end of October or early November.